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Spencer Reid (played by Matthew Gray Gubler) was one of the only original characters to appear in all 15 seasons of Criminal Minds. He was the genius of the group with an IQ of 187 and the ability to read 20,000 words per minute. Reid was incredibly valuable at the BAU (Behavioural Analyst Unit) throughout his time working for the FBI thanks to these skills.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Criminal Minds.
Is Spencer Reid autistic?
Reid was a fan-favourite for viewers from the very beginning of Criminal Minds.
Despite his incredibly high intellect which could irritate those around him at times, he was very relatable given how socially awkward he could be.
This, combined with how good he was at his job and the fact he was a genuinely kind person, made him an iconic character in the eyes of many.
Fans even took to community forum Reddit to explain why they loved him and what made them relate to Reid.
Starting off the conversation, one fan wrote: “Reid was the first character I saw who represented me.
“An autistic, queer coded character with a schizophrenic parent.
“A character who didn’t have many friends growing up and didn’t really fit in.
“The one who was generally prided on their intellect, to the point where, in my case, my entire worth became academia … Representation is important and I was so happy to find a character who represented me.”
Another added: “I’m autistic … [and] Reid is one of the first characters I’ve ever related to.
“No one understands me when I go on long tangents about random topics I love and I always feel different from everyone else and Reid is just himself.”
Despite everyone assuming he is autistic, the creators of Criminal Minds have never confirmed this of Reid.
Nevertheless, actor Matthew Gray Gubler who portrays Reid always believed this of his character.
In an interview with LiveAbout, he explained: “He’s an eccentric genius, with hints of schizophrenia and minor autism, Asperger’s syndrome.
“Reid is 24, 25 years old with three PhDs and one can’t usually achieve that without some form of autism.
“They’ve hinted at shades of schizophrenia with Reid. I know his mother was schizophrenic and he has a fear of going schizophrenic himself.”
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As mentioned by Reddit users, some thought Reid was gay but this wasn’t the case.
Creator Jeff Davis once tweeted: “Fun fact for ‘Criminal Minds’ fans.
“I was originally planning for Reid to be bi. That got shut down by 4th episode”.
But either way, viewers from various walks of life were able to look up to and relate to Reid because he was the quirky but lovable outsider.
Criminal Minds ended last year with season 15 on CBS.
The story isn’t quite over yet as it was shortly announced that streaming service Paramount+ would be creating a revival of the crime drama.
An order of 10 episodes has been given but so far there is no release date in sight.
Criminal Minds is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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